🌱SproutSheets

Maths glossary

Clear, plain-English definitions of the maths and teaching terms that come up most, each with examples and free worksheets to practise.

Area

Area is the amount of flat space a 2D shape covers, measured in square units.

Decimal

A decimal uses a point to show parts of a whole smaller than one.

Factor

A factor is a whole number that divides exactly into another number.

Fraction

A fraction shows equal parts of a whole, written as a numerator over a denominator.

Multiple

A multiple of a number is what you get when you multiply it by a whole number.

Number bond

A number bond shows how a number splits into two parts that add back to the whole.

Numerator and denominator

The numerator is the top number of a fraction; the denominator is the bottom number.

Perimeter

Perimeter is the total distance around the outside of a shape.

Place value

Place value is the idea that a digit's position decides what it is worth.

Prime number

A prime number has exactly two factors: 1 and itself.

Regrouping

Regrouping is the carrying and borrowing used in column addition and subtraction.